First Lady Gertrude Mutharika has called on Malawians and Africans to rally behind football star Temwa Chawinga, who has been shortlisted among the top five nominees for the prestigious 2026 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Award.
In a statement, Mutharika described Chawinga’s nomination as a historic achievement for Malawi and the African continent, noting that she is the first Malawian footballer to make the shortlist.
She also highlighted that Chawinga is the only African player among the five shortlisted nominees.
The First Lady has since urged Malawians and Africans to unite and vote for the Kansas City Current forward, with voting open until November 18, 2026.
“This is not just about Malawi, but about Africa as a continent. Let us all unite and cast our vote for Temwa to bring the award home,” said Mutharika.
Mutharika further expressed confidence that collective support could help Chawinga secure the prestigious recognition.
“This is for Malawi. This is for Africa. We can do it, so let’s do it,” she said.
Chawinga faces competition from Spain’s Alexia Putellas, Poland’s Ewa Pajor, England’s Alessia Russo and Jamaica’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.
The 2026 nomination follows an impressive period for Chawinga, who helped Malawi reach their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final and secure qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
She also won the 2026 WAFCON Golden Boot with five goals. At club level, she helped Kansas City Current win the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Shield and became the first player to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award in consecutive seasons. She also secured back-to-back NWSL Golden Boot awards in 2024 and 2025.
The BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Award was introduced in 2015 by BBC World Service to recognise outstanding performances in women’s football.
Now in its 12th year, the award is decided through a global public vote from a shortlist selected by an expert panel comprising football professionals, coaches and journalists.
Previous winners include Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, who won the inaugural award in 2015, Scotland’s Kim Little (2016), Norway’s Ada Hegerberg (2017 and 2019), England’s Lucy Bronze (2018 and 2020), Netherlands’ Vivianne Miedema (2021), England’s Beth Mead (2022) and Mary Earps (2023).
Zambia’s Barbra Banda won the 2024 edition, becoming the second African player to receive the honour after Oshoala, while England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was the 2025 winner.
The 2026 winner will be announced on December 13 during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, marking the first time the award will be presented as part of the event.
Voting closes on November 18 at 09:00 GMT.
